The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-09-13
PIXIES PEAK LIGHTNING.
How Signal Observer Had His Finger Tips
flame in an Elect ricaI Storm,


Special Correspondence Globe Democrat.
PHLADELrHIA, Pa, August I2-Serseant
Luther NJ Dey, now in the signal service in Phila-
delphia, spent year for the government at Pixies
peak His experiences there must he interesting
to scientists to the general public for they are un-
like any ever published about that monarch of
American mountains
81 was in the signal service house on the summit
when lightning teegmphod itself up the mountain
and struck the building he said recently.
'The wire va grounded five feet from the west
wall. Tao bolt plcwed fIrrow from the end of
the wire to the stone wall, TWO feet thick and tore
out OF II a hole eighteen inches square. Then it
flashed around the room, melted and ruined some
of our instruments and went out of the east win
dow The air seemed full of electricity a the time,
but not one of was injured.
"Not long afterwards 1 saw the most won, full
electrical storm have ever head Of The atmos-
phere had appeared loaded with electricity all one
Afternoon There was Il singing sound in the air,as
ii tho whole universe was a great hive of bees
When q c sun went down saw thousand Jets of
electric flame rising from the wires down the noun.
tain went outdoors My hNir rose up My mus
tachc poked into my nose ] took my HANDS fiom
my pockets and electric flames two inches long
started from each finger tip. When l hold them
down the flames disappeared. | walked IN and
down with my hands in the air, ms excited ms n
child. When came uudor tho telegraph wire the
flames went out where was and disappeared be-
fore and behind me- This storm" lasted half an
hour
But from Sergeant pey's talk, there are real dan
gcts ON the mountain. once in winter time he de-
Sceuded the great crater for rko's Peak is an ex.
tinct volcano Half way down the side of the crater
he slipped, aud in q moment shot several hundred
feet along the slippery surface OF loose snow saving
! himself lay catching ON bowlder The snow was
! very deep, and far down the mountain he saw
/ tracks of III 'uutain lios After hours of awful
| suffering aud Struggling in snow banks he reached
! The tui and cot back &, the station
"1he house has walls two feet thick" continued
| Sergeant p2y. There are several roons-oue fol
instruments one or sleeping and two used as store
! room and kitchen respectively. The roof is an
choroi by great cables 70 brace II against the wind
/ which is terrible sometime, blowing 100 miles AZ
| hour SIX months provisions and six months sup
! ply of wood are taken Mp every fall from thnbe
/ line The leak is ten miles from MRuitou, anS
s,vtnt en- irom Colorado Springs
"But," said the sergeant, Lighting HIS pipe again
/ 'tne view nom the station was magnificent w,
could see the smoke Of Denver, the city Of Pueblo
and the trains on the plains twenty miles away
very clearly. We could see In Old Mexico, Tho
Spanish peaks, capped with snow, and glisteuine
ike knights in amor, $50 miles away, More than
dozen times we have looked far far down below III
at thunder storms raging in II sea Of black clouds
"Iet me tell you word Of poor Captain erwin
He was Il friend Of General Hasen, and came ives
for his health. lie wasa MauNman, and on The
peak in tile government service. The doctors say
he died ola boil IN the lungs, very rare disease
Life on the peak is lonely, There are few birds and
animals Bears are seen occasionally, and yuluro.
and the miserable. CHASTITY looking Rocky mountain
macpios and thrushcs il SHOWS every month in tho
/ year once in willie a royal eagle scars over The
range The auuoSphcre is SO rare up There tha. Oh,
men Of the signal office have o. spend ONE month oi
the summit l},le feet above the sea, and then ON,
month 5oNO feet lower. 90 Colorado springs
piko's Teak ls Use highCst m uutaln In the wori.
"a d D. I'll